The present invention relates to a forklift attachment for highway vehicles, and more particularly to forklift attachments which may be removed from a vehicle such as a pickup truck so as not to interfere with its normal use.
The desirability of a forklift attachment which can be carried at the front end of a pickup truck is readily apparent. Prior attempts to provide such an attachment have supported the forklift equipment on the bumpers or frame of the pickup truck or other vehicle. This greatly limits the amount of cargo which can be picked up and transported on the forks. Also, the heavy loading of the front end of the vehicle distorts the steering geometry, making the pickup truck or other vehicle almost uncontrollable with a heavy load. Beefing up the springs and placing weight in the back of the vehicle are at best only partial solutions. Really heavy loads still cannot be transported because of strength limitations of the front suspension, frames and wheels of the vehicle.